Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

"…Recording in a new studio have new dimensions to the bands' sound," reads a matter of fact statement from the bands' latest press release. No sooner was the thought in my head as the combustive "Death In Fire" began blowing through the speakers - "Man, there's one of the few ...

"Been a while since we last heard the name "Animal" bellowed about as the follow up project for W.A.S.P.'s Randy Piper in the wake of his less than ceremonial departure from said Shock-Rockers a decade and a half ago. If I recall it was somewhere around the late '80s that ...

The name has lay buried in the bowels of Black Metal past for the late great kings of the earliest Nordic uprising all those years ago. And concurrently, with the seeming resurrection of Black Mark, the one time rulers of Scandinavian dark, Bathory rises again from a decade long dormancy ...

Their first album of new material since "Walk-ing On" back in '95, their sixth overall finds the former Arena Rock innovators in a contemplative though thoroughly non-"corporate" mood. Yes folks, it seems every so often, say, six or seven cycles around the sun, the timeless flying Fender's got to touch ...

Throughout the years Covenant's remained a benchmark talent as Electronic music makers worldwide. Recognized as slightly less polished yet still on an equal footing as such legendary acts as Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, Kraftwerk or Front 242 types, the progressively pared Swedish trio continues to create instilling audio imagery ...

"Heathen Radio" takes everything that was ever cool about Punk in the first place, rolls it up, chews and spits it out over pasty-faced Pop posers guised as bottom rung bad boys. That is to say, they're a modern day original that don't flash the fashion, and considering how classic ...

Demon Hunter, as the name suggests, seeks and finds solace in spirituality while musically exorcising the beast within. The cover booklet is cleverly designed in "testament" like layout and table of contents as if for a not so subtle reminder that we are onto a new "contractual" obligation with a ...

“Two Angels and A Dream” is the debut album from Geffen recording artists and California natives Depswa. Destined for stores in late April, the band has already been touring for months in preparation for the release, hitting the road with bands like Mudvayne, Taproot, and most recently the Trust Company/Blindside ...

I love these guys, I mean, they are the voice of, well, discontent. They throw this playful jive at ya, splattering oil soaked lyrics fresh from the local garage and screaming about the world around 'em, stretching a C, D, and E chord progression for every last breath and the ...

You have to hand it to Trent Gardner for bringing together another stellar cast of musicians for his second "Explorer's Club" effort, titled, "Raising the Mammoth." Between this project, and the "Leonardo -- The Absolute Man" album he helmed last year, Gardner has been busy with these side projects, but ...

If you enjoy the electronic beats, soulful singing and catchy hooks that make up techno music then you might enjoy this album. The Funky Green Dogs don't bring anything different or unique to the club scene. In fact they are rather mediocre compared to other bands out right now. Their ...

Great opening track by this thing called Capture The Flag - feels like I'm listening to early Cro-Mags, circa '83 or '84 with their addictive blend of Metal shred and catchy top of the lungs verses. The Control's one of the later model discoveries by the GK people and combine ...

There was something that struck me as I read along the press release while listening to GK's second all instrumental. Sean Malone, bass and stick man - "stick" operating much as would the bass or guitar, only the strings are tapped, not plucked, to achieve a more percussive and broader ...

Before picking apart the track selection and yet another stab at mass market consumption that's seeing them slowly gain ground on Rock band gone capitalist kings in disguise, Kiss, I want to first comment on the absolutely awe-inspiring cover art for the hands down leaders of coincident underground album artistry. ...

Since I generally ignore MTV, I've never indulged in viewing their ultra successful Jackass series, though I have been warming to The Osbournes of late and hoping to hell I can still respect Ozzy for the madman performer he's been rather than the head of the weekly side show circus ...

Kittie have emerged once again with this seven-track EP that shows their experimental side as they blend their familiar brand of death metal with a gothic and instrumental touch. Formed in 1997, this London, Ontario three piece prove that girls can expel their rage with as much gut wrenching brutality ...

Looks can be deceiving. At first glance, I scoffed at the name, notion, and these four leftovers from the last Mayberry. I'm not going on a limb to say I'm not a huge fan of their style of music, which is definable in roughly three categories, they being, Rock, Boogie, ...

An entire album based upon that place between time and space where dreams and death collide in a crash of fantastical imagery interwoven black and fleeting thoughts of life tick away like the beating heart in its final hour… Okay maybe that's a little deep but then so is the ...

Nivea may appear to just be the latest single named flava of the month diva, but in reality, she is much more than that. On the heels of her Top 10 collaboration with Jagged Edge singers Brian and Brandon Casey, "Don't Mess with My Man," Nivea’s debut CD is a ...

The Discontent… The Hunns? Typhoon Motor Dudes? The Briggs… The Briggs? Huh? Who are these guys and where do they come from? Here's my first clue I was going to dig this stuff… I never heard of most of 'em... and about halfway in, since I started writing, I haven't ...

The Discontent… The Hunns? Typhoon Motor Dudes? The Briggs… The Briggs? Huh? Who are these guys and where do they come from? Here's my first clue I was going to dig this stuff… I never heard of most of 'em... and about halfway in, since I started writing, I haven't ...

I've got to admit being a little skeptical running down this list of six for a slightly dated debut EP that's back for another run at Rock n' Roll reverb. The vibe front out is that of a late '60s/'70s style retro-revival from a four member band whose roots reach ...

I'm sorry I missed 'em the first time around on their "Distorted Lullabies" 2001 breakthrough, but "Precious" comes across as a pleasant surprise. Upon skimming then reading the song lyrics, I was left with an impression that Ours is more about substance than style, but I wasn't sure if we ...

Jason Newsted was known for making fairly heavy music in a band called Flotsam & Jetsam several years ago, themselves, a step beneath the popularized Thrash Metal of the time from the reigning "Big 4," and fast forward some eighteen or twenty years later, Newsted's about two years removed from ...

"To Be Continued…" continues where "Cross To Bear" left off in '01, strengthening the bridge between ol' schoolin' rants and rowdiness and barstool blow outs in the finest sea town tradition. Yes, Pressure Point puts an immense load on the still recovering listener seeking a means of escape from cartoonish ...